TalkTalk Says Cyber Attack Will Cost £30-35 Million

LONDON (Reuters) – British broadband operator TalkTalk put the cost of last month’s cyber attack at 30 million to 35 million pounds, and said it was too soon to gauge the impact on customer numbers, although it did see an immediate spike in defections.

The company said that notwithstanding the attack, which affected fewer of its 4 million customers than it initially feared, it remained well-positioned for the long term, and it stuck to its guidance for this financial year.

It raised its interim dividend by 15 percent to 5.29 pence, which it said underlined its confidence in its future, and said revenue for the first half, which ended before the attack, rose 4.7 percent.